Your Ultimate Guide to Bangkok, Thailand

Am I really in Bangkok? I asked that to myself as I landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport in the hot blazing sun. I always wanted to go to Southeast Asia and if you know anything about Southeast Asia, you know that you have to have Bangkok on that list. After I got back from my solo trip from Europe back in 2018, I told myself that I needed to do something similar in Asia but it wasn’t until September 24th, 2019 at 1:05 AM when I actually booked this ticket. Once I booked the tickets, I got busy at work, and life just sort of took over and I totally forgot about it for a while. Sometime mid-November, a notification popped up on the phone that read “Put in days off at work for Southeast Asia trip and tell Mom/Dad”. I almost lost it and that’s why I asked myself “Am I really in Bangkok?” because I couldn’t believe it myself since I started planning the whole trip mid-November and I was leaving December 11th. Also, I was running my first international race (10K) in Bangkok that Sunday.

• Dates in Bangkok, Thailand
  • December 13th, 2019 – December 16th, 2019 (3 nights, 4 days, Friday – Monday)
• Language: Thai
• Local Currency: Bhat (1USD = 31.23 Bhat)
  • Total Amount of money spent for 3 nights, 4 days (Including Hostel): $102.09 (3187.79 Bhat)
• Transportation Sharing App (Uber): Grab.
  • You can also order a bike grab. YES, I KNOW! Someone on their motorbike will come to pick you up and you sit behind them.
• Eat pad thai every day and get a lot of massages

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1. Airport: Suvarnabhumi International Airport – BKK

I flew Shanghai Airlines from Pudong International Airport to Bangkok International Airport (Subornovumi). I got to the Pudong airport around 10:20 am & was still able to check-in & comfortably make it to my 12:00 pm flight. It’s always good to get to the airport early because depending on what time it is, the immigration might take long. Plus the airport is HUGE and it takes forever & a lot of walking to even get to the terminal from the metro station. The flight was fine, it was long (about 5 hours) but I knocked out the moment it took off and woke up, right when it landed. Honestly, that was probably one of the best naps I’ve had. China was obviously being China, with their strict passport security and all but when I arrived in Bangkok, it was really normal, nothing too crazy.

• Once I landed in Bangkok, the first thing I did was exchanged some money. Exchange rate I exchanged my money for 26.58 Baht = 1USD, I arrived at the airport and converted about 113USD for 3000 Baht and my leftover 100 Chinese Yuan to 387 Baht.
• In total, I had 3387 Baht for my stay in Bangkok. I was planning on spending about 100USD in each city I was visiting. (Including my payment for the hostel in cash)

2. Public Transportation

The easiest way to get to Bangkok center from the airport is the S1 bus (it’s a white bus and does trips to the city center and back from the airport. So, if you don’t see it, there is a high chance that it’s either on its way back to the airport from the city or on its way to drop off passengers). It’s 60 Baht and it pretty much drops you off wherever you want in the city center. I think it’s owned by a family and since they have that flexibility to stop the bus if the passenger wants to get off at a certain stop. I was too busy observing that I missed my stop, so I asked the lady if she could stop the bus wherever it’s closer to my hostel and that’s exactly what she did, it was a five-minute walk to my hostel from where she dropped me off. I’m sort of glad that I had to do that 5-minute walk because I got to see the city a little bit before I even got to my hostel. One big difference I saw when I was in Bangkok compared to my other European backpacking trips was that not everyone speaks English so it’s a bit hard to communicate so always have your google translate handy!

And for the days I was in Bangkok, I honestly didn’t use public transportation at all. My 2nd day in Bangkok when I was visiting all the temples, I walked everywhere and the time I was hanging out with my friends, we basically used Grab. It’s so cheap so why not.

• Here is more information on the S1 bus: link

3. Hostel – Once Again Hostel – 3 nights, 4 days

I was staying at Once Again Hostel and I honestly don’t regret even a single bit. The hostel was beyond amazing and I also met the most amazing friends. It’s also very modern and spacious. One thing I didn’t like about the hostel was that our lockers to store our luggage was right by our bed and that means that if your bed is on the top bunk (like me) then you have to carry your luggage and put it on the top bunk. Besides that, everything was amazing! After I checked in, someone from the reception gave me a quick tour of the hostel and also showed me my room.

• The first floor had a restaurant, open “living room” kind of space, they offered free breakfast
• The second floor had all the rooms, bathrooms, and a room to play board games and with a giant TV where we can relax and watch some Netflix.
• The third floor had some more rooms and a rooftop (great views)

I stayed in 8-Beds Mixed Standard Dorm but if you plan on booking this hostel for your stay in Bangkok, I would recommend you book an 8-Bed Mixed Superior Dorm. I made a friend who was staying in one of those superior dorms and it was just a bit more spacious.

• You can book your stay here: Link
• I booked 3 nights, 4 days totaling 1500 Baht ($48)
• NOTE: They only take CASH

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4. Itinerary

Day 1

As soon as I entered my room, I ran into Linda. She was also backpacking and was from Switzerland, a really nice person. We exchanged where we were from and as I got into my bed, she was going to go freshen up. I didn’t want to go to sleep as it was only 7/8 pm, so I took my laptop out and went down to the common area to just work on some stuff. While I was sitting there, Linda came and asked if I already had dinner and obviously I did not so she asked me if I wanted to join her and a couple of other guys for dinner at a nearby street food stall, and without anything, I said let’s GO! This is what I love about traveling, easy to make friends because you all have one thing in common. TRAVELING & SEEING THE WORLD. I got introduced to Joe and Eduardo. Joe was traveling from Australia and Eduardo was traveling from Spain. We went to the nearest food stall for some amazing pad Thai and kid you not, having pad Thai in Thailand is a whole nother story. Sometime after dinner, Joe was tired, so he went back to the hostel but Linda, Eduardo, and I went to go get a foot massage. For 220 Bhat ($7.05), it was an amazing massage and we passed by so many market shops to get to this foot massage place. On our way back, we passed through Kason road which is said to be the most happening place. With bars bumping music, drinks flowing everywhere, laughing gas being sold everywhere and the weirdest animal and insects being eaten. I mean people were eating scorpions, spiders and I even saw a cut open alligator. Once I got to the hostel, I chilled in the common area and knocked out around 10 PM as I was tired from my flight from Shanghai.

Expenses for Day 1: 1865 Bhat ($59.72)

• 220 Bhat ($7.05) – Foot Massage
• 60 Bhat ($1.92) – Bus from airport
• 85 Bhat ($2.75) – Pad Thai dinner
• 1500 Bhat ($48) – Once again Hostel for three nights

DAY 2

Day 2 was more of a solo thing that I did at first and then joined Linda, Joe & Berfin to go see the weekend market. Linda met Berfin at the hostel when I was doing a bunch of solo stuff which I’ll talk about below in my “things to see” part of the blog. Berfin was also from Switzerland and was traveling solo. After some solo things, I checked out the market that was at the edge of the river, and right across the river was Wat Arun. One of the most famous temples in Bangkok. After the market, I got back to the hostel and met up with Joe & Berfin. Linda had met some friends and was out shopping, and we planned on meeting her directly at the weekend market for a late lunch. I had to go pick up my race packet (yes, I was running my first international 10K in Bangkok on Sunday) so I went to do that and once I got back Joe, Berfin and I headed towards the weekend market. We ordered an “Uber” and the reason I put that in quotes is that Uber actually does not work there, there is an alternative app called Grab. The weekend market is a must when you’re in Bangkok, there are a lot of small shops that make up this weekend market and you can easily find fake replicas of luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton & Prada to name a few. For lunch, we sat down at a Paella place. I know, surprising as we’re in Thailand and eating Spanish food. But Linda said it was good, so we decided to try it out. Once we got done with lunch, we got some refreshments shakes, and coconut water while we explored the market on foot. After the weekend market, we decided to get back to the hostel because we wanted to see the sunset from a rooftop bar, and in order to get to one, we had to be appropriately dressed (Button top, closed-toe shoes). Linda wasn’t feeling well, so Joe, Berfin, and I headed down to this rooftop bar called Spectrum, it’s actually on top of a Hyatt Regency. It was really nice to see Bangkok from up top and the drinks were relatively cheap for being a rooftop bar and on top of a 5-star hotel. Post Spectrum, we went down to a building complex called Nana Plaza, which consists of 4 floors. The ground floor has restaurants and arcades while the top 3 floors are all strip clubs. We played some pool on the ground floor and had some drinks. After nana plaza, we went back to the hostel and chilled on the roof with Linda and some other people. I fell asleep right on the roof and had to transition down to my room since I had to be up for my first international 10K race.

Expenses for Day 2: 925 Bhat ($29.62)

• 100 Bhat ($3.20) – Entrance fee for Wat Suthat
• 200 Bhat ($6.40) – Entrance fee for Wat Pho
• 150 Bhat ($4.80) – Paella lunch
• 310 Bhat ($9.93) – Drinks at Spectrum
• 80 Bhat ($2.56) – Coconut water at the weekend market
• 85 Bhat ($2.72) – Dinner at the Pad Thai street stall

Day 3

Day 3 was by far the saddest if I should say because the girls were leaving Bangkok to continue on their journey further. I woke up early to start my race, finished it, got my medal. I came back to the hostel, took a shower, had some breakfast, and took a nap. Once I got down, Joe had gone to get some lunch and I was craving Indian food, so I went to go get some Indian food for lunch. I got back and ate it in the common area and right then Berfin & Linda were checking out. We then went to the board game/TV room and fell asleep on the couch because the AC was on at full speed and we were all going through a food coma. Once Joe got back, he had a plan for him and me after the girls left. Berfin left as her bus was leaving soon and Linda stuck around for a bit as her bus wasn’t till 7 PM. We went to the most famous pad Thai restaurant in Bangkok. I mean this place has a Michelin star serving Pad Thais and it lived up to the hype. It opens at 5 PM and there is always a huge line outside. All the time. All three of us had some pad Thai and we went to drop off Linda. Since Joe and I were heading that way to go see a Mai Tai fight anyway, we dropped off Linda on the way. Joe & I watched Mai Tai fight and later, came back to the hostel and went to bed early as I was tired from my race earlier in the morning.

Expenses for Day 3: 340 Bhat ($10.89)

• 260 Bhat ($8.01) – Indian Food Lunch
• 80 Bhat ($2.56) – Dinner at the Michelle star restaurant

Day 4: Leaving day.

When I was having some breakfast, I met this guy named George, we had some great conversations throughout, Joe came downstairs and joined us as well. I checked out of my hostel and left to check out the market one more time as I wanted to bring back some souvenirs and since the market was right by the river, I had some spare time and decided to go to Wat Arun (The most famous temple in Bangkok) which was right across the river. I took a ferry and it was super cheap. Surprisingly, I ran into George on the ferry. What a small world?! and he was accompanied by Georgia, who was also staying at the same hostel. They both had just arrived in Bangkok. All three of us checked out Wat Arun and I left for the hostel so I can grab my bags and leave for the airport. This was a bittersweet moment, as I was leaving with my bags, Joe was too and it was almost very sad but also very exciting because I was headed to Krabi, another city in Thailand but with a more tropical vibe and he was headed to Pattaya. Berfin Left for Phuket, Linda left for Kao Tao for diving school and Eduardo left for Cambodia. I have a friend in Bangkok (he was a study abroad student at my university in Chicago & that’s how I know him) but he was out of the country with his parents so we couldn’t meet up but his family is actually quite well off in Bangkok so he sent his personal driver to drop me off at the airport which was very nice of him and I really appreciate that gesture.

Expenses for Day 4: 58 Bhat ($1.86)

• 8 Bhat ($0.26) – Wat Arun Ferry Round Trip
• 50 Bhat ($1.60) – Wat Arun Entrance Fee
• 100 Bhat ($3.20) – Lunch at the Airport

5. Five things you HAVE to see

1. Wat Suthat Temple

100 Bhat ($3.20)

Cover your shoulders and legs

Opening hours – 8:30 AM – 9 PM

Wat Suthat was my first Temple experience in Bangkok and honestly, it really lived up to the hype. Everyone I’ve met until now, has always said really good things about temples in Thailand.

2. Wat Pho Temple

200 Bhat ($6.41)

Cover your shoulders and legs

Opening hours – 8 AM – 6:30 PM

This is where the sleeping Buddha statue is situated. Although I did wish I would’ve gone a bit earlier because it was really crowded. I barely got a good picture but one thing I can guarantee is that it was worth checking out.

So, RECOMMENDATION, go early to Wat Pho

3. Wat Arun Temple

50 Bhat ($1.60)

Operating Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM

Cover your legs and shoulders

The temple derives its name from the Hindu god Aruna, often personified as the radiations of the rising sun.

I went to Wat Arun right before leaving for the airport so it was a bit fast. I recommend you go with a little bit more time. Also, try to go around evening time. Although it closes at 5:30 PM, you can see the view at night and it’s really amazing. I’ve seen pictures of it and it’s beyond beautiful.

Depending on what side you’re coming from, you will need to take a ferry from the river bank. It’s 4 Bhat for one way.

4. Spectrum

Spectrum is a rooftop restaurant/bar where you can see sit and enjoy Bangkok’s skyline. Luckily Joe, Berfin, and I went right around sunset time. It was perfect.

One thing that I would really recommend is to dress up nicely. Wear closed-toe shoes, they let us in with shorts but we really felt out of the place so I would say pants/jeans and a button-down.

Address: BTS Nana, 1 Soi Sukhumvit 13, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Hours: Everyday 5:30 PM – 12:00 AM

5. Weekend Market

Free Entrance

The Chatuchak Weekend Market or also known as the weekend market, on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok, is the largest market in Thailand. Also known as JJ Market, it has more than 15,000 stalls and 11,505 vendors, divided into 27 sections.

Sat – Tue: 9AM – 6PM

Wed – Thurs: 7AM – 6PM

Fri: 6PM – 12AM

Address: Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

6. Currency Exchange

You have 3 options, I recommend options 2 & 3: I normally don’t recommend carrying around cash but Asian countries are one place where I really recommend you carry some cash on you. small food stalls on the street side DO NOT take cards.

1) Open a prepaid card. This is the method I used and it had its ups and downs. I used Travelex Money Card that you can find here. It’s pretty much like a debit card. What you will have to do is, open the card for $10 and you will be able to link it to your bank account. Every time you feel like you want to convert some money onto your Travelex Money Card, you can use their app to say what currency you want to convert it in and within seconds, that money will be on your card and you can use it right away. It’s also contactless, so you can use it on public transportation and you can set a 4-digit pin so you’re safe as well. I did a lot of research when I went to open this card and I couldn’t find a better exchange rate than Travelex. So if you are planning on picking this option, you’ll get a good rate out of its competitors.

2) You can also carry around cash but I DO NOT recommend this option. When you’re exchanging cash, you won’t get a good exchange rate and there is a chance of it getting stolen or lost.

3) Open a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees. I recommend this option because when I left for my backpacking trip for the first time, I did not know such credit cards existed and so I never did my research. My personal favorite is United Explorer Visa Card that you can apply for here. I use this card pretty much anywhere I go abroad and since it’s a Visa card, it works almost everywhere. Another reason why I really like a credit card is that no one will give you a better exchange rate than a bank. It’s also very easy to use, simply use it as if you were to use it in the US, and when prompted to choose between USD or BHAT, pick BHAT. It’s also contactless, no foreign transaction fees, and you 2 lounge pass for United. So, if you’re in a place to open a credit card, I really recommend this option.

7. Food

When you’re in Asia, you have to try all sorts of food but when you’re specifically in Thailand, you basically HAVE to live on pad thai. I literally ate pad thai for lunch and dinner everyday. Below is one restaurant that I really recommend as it has received a michelin star for it’s pad thai.

Thipsamai

• They have different kinds of Pad Thais and not to worry for us vegetarians because they have vegetarian pad thai with tofu.
• The restaurant opens at 5 PM every day but the line starts forming around 4:30. You cannot call and make reservations. They simply run on a first come first serve basis so make sure you go and stand in the line as early as possible.
• Address: 313 315 Maha Chai Rd, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
• You can get a Vegetarian Pad Thai for about 85 Bhat ($2.72)

Below are some of the pictures I took while I was visiting Bangkok. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @mrshutterup to follow my journey and for some more amazing pictures. Lastly, feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions!